National Engineers Week Celebration

Join us on-site at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Ford Rouge Factory Tour and Giant Screen Experience — or virtually from home — during National Engineers Week as we reimagine the possible.

Engineers create new possibilities all the time, working together to develop new technologies, products and opportunities that change how we live. Let’s inspire the next generation by celebrating all the ways engineers turn dreams into reality by reimagining what seems impossible.

Celebrate at the Museum:

For over 50 years, Apollo 11 has been a symbol of our desire to do something no one has ever done before. Suit up for the best of technology and exploration through the eyes of the engineers and the boots of the astronauts who continue to rocket us forward. Free for members or with museum admission.

A successor to the spacesuits used for the Apollo missions, Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) were first designed in the 1970s. Used for spacewalks outside the space shuttle and later refined for use on the International Space Station, EMUs include advancements that make continuous use possible for up to eight hours.

Celebrating the triumphant innovations of NASA engineers during the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, this featured activity will have you on the edge of your seat as you attempt to “bring your astronaut home.” Build a rocket ship out of magnetic blocks as you work as a team under pressure, just like NASA engineers.

Follow your lead engineer as they create their rocket first. Then, try to build a spaceship like theirs. Will you have enough parts? More importantly, will you have enough time? Come put your skills to the test.

Celebrate at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour:

We’re uplifting the focus on engineering that happens every day at the Factory Tour with tip sheets and video resources that help contextualize your visit onsite. Learn more about stories of women engineers, including Linda Zhang, the Chief Engineer for the new Ford F-150 Lightning.

Celebrate at the Giant Screen Experience:

Explore out-of-this-world innovations in space exploration and technology with these featured films at Giant Screen Experience. Showtimes vary daily, learn more.

Explore the ways in which NASA uses underwater environments to simulate life and work in space, offering a fascinating look into the high-tech world of astronauts.

Marvel in the final moments of preparation, liftoff, landing, and return of the Apollo 11 mission. Includes never-before-seen 70 mm footage and audio recordings.

Celebrate From Home:

This virtual program series features leaders in their field as they discuss topics and challenges facing us today. Join us on Facebook for the following dates at facebook.com/thehenryford. Advance registration is not required.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m.: Business and education leaders share their career experiences and talk about educating and empowering the next generation to engineer a better tomorrow. Moderated by Dr. DeLean Tolbert Smith, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

• Victoria Bohannon-Pea, engineering services project manager at Arrow Electronics
• John Nunneley, senior vice president, Technology Management and IT, and general manager of the Farmington Hills office, at Hitachi Astemo Americas
• Theresa Ramírez-Zipser, STEM engagement coordinator and STEM building coordinator at Wayne State University

Join us for the following dates at facebook.com/thehenryford to hear social innovators share their experience and insight on empowerment as we reflect on the past and collaborate to build a better future for the next generation.

• Monday, Feb. 21: Empowering the Next Generation of Engineers and Problem Solvers with Raytheon Technologies.
• Friday, Feb. 25: Empowering Makers to Build a Better Future with Stanley Black & Decker.
  

Learn more about stories of past and present engineers from our collections on our blog. Content is refreshed and updated year-round.